Method for parking a vehicle

Abstract

A method for parking a vehicle in which distances of the vehicle from obstacles as well as the length and / or width of a parking space are determined. Sensors are used for parking space determination as well as distance measurement in this context.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a method for parking a vehicle.BACKGROUND INFORMATION[0002]Measuring devices, in particular ultrasonic measuring devices, for warning a motor vehicle of the approach of an obstacle are conventional. An information signal is provided to the driver visually and / or acoustically as a function of distance. In particular, this renders it possible to prevent impact with obstacles that are not visible to the driver or for which the distance is difficult to estimate. However, if a parking space is too small to accommodate the vehicle, such a measuring device only provides the driver with limited assistance since the driver may unsuccessfully attempt to park the vehicle in the parking space. German Patent Application No. DE 196 16 447 describes a method for determining the length of a parking space and a parking assistance device suitable for the method via which the length of a parking space between a front and a back parked vehicl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0003]An example the method of the present invention may have the advantage that the sensors on the side of the vehicle are used to determine the length of the parking space as well as to determine the distances between the vehicle and obstacles, e.g., in the form of boundaries to the parking space, during the parking operation. As a result, the example method of the present invention facilitates effective parking since the driver is directed to a suitable parking space and is also warned of possible impact during the parking operation. The partially dual use of the sensors for parking space length determination as well as for distance determination allows a reduction in the number of sensors to be used and an increase in the resolution and consequently the accuracy of the function reception.

[0004]It may be particularly advantageous, in particular for sensors situated laterally on the vehicle, to provide two measuring modes so that a different measuring method may be used for parking space determination and distance determination. In this context, it may be particularly advantageous in the first measuring mode to increase the signal emission frequency for the parking space length determination with respect to the distance determination since this facilitates precise parking space determination even at a high driving speed relative to the parked vehicles.

[0005]It may also be advantageous that direct echoes are evaluated in the first measuring mode and that cross echoes are evaluated in addition to the direct echoes in the second measuring mode so that the spatial position of an obstacle is able to be determined. This allows more exact warnings to be provided to the driver. Measuring errors resulting in non-issuance of a warning are able to be prevented.

[0006]It may also be particularly advantageous to position the sensors on a front and back vehicle end so that backward as well as forward parking is supported.

[0007]It may also be advantageous if acoustic and / or electromagnetic waves are emitted and received by the sensors so that distance determination is rendered possible using a propagation time and / or phase shift and / or frequency shift. The use of inaudible and / or invisible acoustic and / or electric waves is particularly advantageous in this context so that other traffic participants are not disturbed by the measuring operation.

Problems solved by technology

However, if a parking space is too small to accommodate the vehicle, such a measuring device only provides the driver with limited assistance since the driver may unsuccessfully attempt to park the vehicle in the parking space.

However, the described parking assistance device does not allow measurement of the distance to obstacles during the parking operation so that the driver is responsible for monitoring these distances during the parking operation.

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